Salzburg

Explore

Visiting Salzburg from Vienna is doable in two days, but consider tagging on a third day to explore at a more leisurely pace. High on your itinerary for day one should be the Unesco-listed baroque Altstadt (old town), which is burrowed below steep hills, with the main trophy sights clustering on the left bank of the Salzach River. You can walk everywhere in this compact, largely pedestrianised city.

On your second day, whiz up to medieval clifftop fortress Festung Hohensalzburg for sublime city and mountain views, or take a spin around the galleries and Mozart mu­seums. With an extra day, you could head for kitsch-country on a Sound of Music bicycle or Segway tour.

Base yourself centrally to see Salzburg beautifully illuminated by night. Classical music performances and beer gardens are the big draws after dark.

The Best…

» Sight Old Town

» Place to Eat Bärenwirt (Click here)

» Place to Drink Augustiner Bräustübl (Click here)

Top Tip

The Salzburg Card (1-/2-/3-day card €26/ 35/41) includes entry to the major sights and attractions, a river cruise, unlimited use of public transport plus discounts on tours and events.

Getting There & Away

Car & Motorcycle The A1 motorway links Vienna to Salzburg; it’s approximately a three-hour drive. The largest car park in the centre is the Altstadt Garage under Mönchsberg (€18 per day).

Train There are at least two trains hourly from Vienna’s Westbahnhof to Salzburg (€100, 2½ to three hours). Discounted ÖBB SparSchiene (www.oebb.at/en/tickets/SparSchiene) tickets can be booked online in advance and can cost as little as a third of the standard train fare.

Need to Know

» Area Code 0662

» Location 296km west of Vienna

» Tourist Office ( 889 87-330; www.salzburg.info; Mozartplatz 5; 9am-7pm)

Sights

OLD TOWN HISTORIC QUARTER

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A Unesco World Heritage site, Salzburg’s Old Town centre is equally entrancing whether viewed from ground level or the hills above.

The grand Residenzplatz, with its horse-drawn carriages and mythical fountain, is a good starting point for a wander. The overwhelmingly baroque Dom OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP (Cathedral; Domplatz; 8am-7pm Mon-Sat, 1-7pm Sun), slightly south, is entered via bronze doors symbolising faith, hope and charity. The adjacent Dommuseum OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP (adult/child €5/1.50; 10am-5pm Mon-Sat, 11am-6pm Sun May-Oct) is a treasure-trove of ecclesiastical art.

From here, head west along Franziskanergasse and turn left into a courtyard for Stiftskirche St Peter OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP (St Peter’s Abbey Church; St Peter Bezirk 1-2; catacombs adult/child €1.50/1; church 8.30am-noon & 2.30-6.30pm, cemetery 6.30am-7pm, catacombs 10.30am-5pm Tue-Sun), an abbey church founded around 700. Among the lovingly tended graves in the grounds you’ll find the Katakomben OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP (catacombs; admission €1.50; 10.30am-5pm Tue-Sun), cavelike chapels and crypts hewn out of the Mönchsberg cliff face.

The western end of Franziskanergasse opens out into Max Reinhardt Platz, where you’ll see the back of Fisher von Erlach’s Kollegienkirche OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP (Universitätsplatz; 8am-6pm), another outstanding example of baroque architecture. The Stift Nonnberg OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP (Nonnberg Convent; Nonnberggasse 2; 7am-dusk), where Maria first appears in The Sound of Music , is back in the other direction, a short climb up the hill to the east of the Festung Hohensalzburg.

FESTUNG HOHENSALZBURG FORT

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(www.salzburg-burgen.at; Mönchsberg 34; adult/child/family €7.80/4.40/17.70, with Festungsbahn funicular €11/6.30/25.50; 9am-7pm) Salzburg’s most visible icon is this mighty clifftop fortress, one of the best preserved in Europe. Built in 1077, it was home to many prince-archbishops who ruled Salzburg from 798. Inside are the impressively ornate staterooms, torture chambers and two museums.

It takes 15 minutes to walk up the hill to the fortress, or you can catch the Festungsbahn funicular OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP (Festungsgasse 4).

MOZARTS GEBURTSHAUS MUSEUM

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(Mozart’s Birthplace; www.mozarteum.at; Getreidegasse 9; adult/child/family €10/3.50/21; 9am-5.30pm) Mozart was born in this bright-yellow town house in 1756 and spent the first 17 years of his life here. The museum today harbours a collection of memorabilia, including the miniature violin the child prodigy played, plus a lock of his hair and buttons from his jacket.

MOZART-WOHNHAUS MUSEUM

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(Mozart’s Residence; www.mozarteum.at; Makartplatz 8; adult/child €10/3.50, incl Mozarts Geburtshaus €17/5; 9am-5.30pm) The Mozart family moved to this more spacious abode in 1773, where a prolific Mozart composed works such as the Shepherd King and Idomeneo . Alongside family portraits and documents, you’ll find Mozart’s original fortepiano.

Under the same roof and included in your ticket is the Mozart Ton-und Filmmuseum OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP ( 9am-1pm Mon, Tue & Fri, 1-5pm Wed & Thu), a film and music archive for the ultra-enthusiast.

SALZBURG MUSEUM MUSEUM

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(www.salzburgmuseum.at; Mozartplatz 1; adult/child €7/3; 9am-5pm Tue-Sun, to 8pm Thu) Housed in the Neue Residenz palace, this flagship museum takes you on a romp through Salzburg past and present. Ornate rooms showcase medieval sacred art, prince-archbishop portraits and highlights such as Carl Spitzweg’s renowned Sonntagsspaziergang (Sunday Stroll; 1841) painting. There are free guided tours at 6pm on Thursday. Salzburg’s famous 35-bell glockenspiel, which chimes daily at 7am, 11am and 6pm, is on the palace’s western flank.

SCHLOSS MIRABELL PALACE

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(Mirabellplatz 4; palace 8am-4pm Mon, Wed & Thu, 1-4pm Tue & Fri, gardens dawn-dusk) F Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich built this splendid palace in 1606 for his beloved mistress Salome Alt. Its lavish baroque interior, replete with stucco, marble and frescoes, is free to visit. The Marmorsaal (Marble Hall) provides a sublime backdrop for evening chamber concerts.

For stellar fortress views, take a stroll in the manicured, fountain-dotted gardens. The Sound of Music fans will of course recognise the Pegasus statue, the gnomes and the steps where the mini von Trapps practised ‘Do-Re-Mi’.

RESIDENZ PALACE

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(www.residenzgalerie.at; Residenzplatz 1; combined ticket state rooms & gallery adult/child €9/3; 10am-5pm) This baroque palace is where the prince-archbishops held court until the 19th century. You can visit their opulently frescoed staterooms, while the gallery spotlights Dutch and Flemish masters of the Rubens and Rembrandt ilk.

MUSEUM DER MODERNE GALLERY

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(www.museumdermoderne.at; Mönchsberg 32; adult/child €8/6; 10am-6pm Tue-Sun, to 8pm Wed) Straddling Mönchsberg’s cliffs, this contemporary gallery shows first-rate exhibitions of 20th- and 21st-century art. The works of Alex Katz, Emil Nolde and John Cage have previously featured. There’s a free guided tour of the gallery at 6.30pm on Wednesday.

The Mönchsberg Lift OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP (Gstättengasse 13; one-way/return €2.10/3.40, incl gallery ticket €9.70/6.80; 8am-7pm Thu-Tue, to 9pm Wed) whizzes up to the gallery year-round.

FRIEDHOF ST SEBASTIAN CEMETERY

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(Linzer Gasse 41; 9am-6.30pm) Tucked away behind the baroque St Sebastian’s Church, this peaceful cemetery is the final resting place of Mozart family members and 16th-century physician Paracelsus. Out pomping them all, though, is Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau’s mosaic-tiled mausoleum, an elaborate memorial to himself.

Eating

Self-caterers can find picnic fixings at the Grüner Markt OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP (Green Market; Universitätsplatz; Mon-Sat).

BÄRENWIRT AUSTRIAN €€

( 42 24 04; www.baerenwirt-salzburg.at; Müllner Hauptstrasse 8; mains €9-18; 11am-11pm) Sizzling and stirring since 1663, Bärenwirt combines a woody, hunting-lodge-style interior with a river-facing terrace. Go for hearty Bierbraten (beer roast) with dumplings, locally caught trout or organic wild-boar bratwurst.

ALTER FUCHS AUSTRIAN €€

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( 88 20 22; Linzer Gasse 47-49; mains €10-17; noon-midnight Mon-Sat; ) This old fox prides itself on serving up old-fashioned Austrian fare, such as schnitzels fried to golden perfection. Foxes clad in bandanas guard the bar in the vaulted interior and there’s a courtyard for good-weather dining.

ZUM FIDELEN AFFEN AUSTRIAN €€

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( 87 73 61; www.fideleraffe.at; Priesterhausgasse 8; mains €10.50-19.50; 5pm-midnight Mon-Sat) At the jovial monkey you’ll dine heartily on Austrian classics like goulash and sweet curd dumplings in the vaulted interior or on the pavement terrace. Reservations are recommended.

M32 FUSION €€

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( 84 10 00; www.m32.at; Mönchsberg 32; 2-course lunch €14, 5-course dinner €68-70, mains €14-23; 9am-1am Tue-Sun; ) Bold colours and a forest of stag antlers reveal architect Matteo Thun’s imprint at Museum der Moderne’s glass-walled restaurant. The seasonal food and views are fantastic.

TRIANGEL AUSTRIAN €€

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( 84 22 29; Wiener-Philharmoniker-Gasse 7; lunch €4.90, mains €9-30; noon-midnight Mon-Sat) The menu is market-fresh at this arty bistro. It does gourmet salads, a mean Hungarian goulash with organic beef, and delicious homemade ice cream.

Drinking

You’ll find the biggest concentration of bars along both banks of the Salzach and the hippest around Gstättengasse and Anton-Neumayr-Platz.

AUGUSTINER BRÄUSTÜBL BREWERY

(www.augustinerbier.at; Augustinergasse 4-6; 3-11pm Mon-Fri, 2.30-11pm Sat & Sun) Who says monks can’t enjoy themselves? Since 1621 this cheery monastery-run brewery has been serving potent home brews in the vaulted hall and beneath the chestnut trees in the 1000-seat beer garden.

REPUBLIC BAR

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(www.republic-cafe.at; Anton-Neumayr-Platz 2; 8am-1am Sun-Thu, to 4am Fri & Sat) One of Salzburg’s most happening haunts, with regular DJs and free events, from jazz breakfasts to Tuesday salsa nights.

UNIKUM SKY CAFE

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(Unipark Nonntal; 10am-7pm Mon-Fri, 9.30am-6pm Sat) For knockout fortress views, drinks and inexpensive snacks, head up to this sun-kissed terrace atop the new Unipark Nonntal campus.

Entertainment

Some of the high-brow venues include the Schlosskonzerte OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP ( 84 85 86; www.salzburger-schlosskonzerte.at; Theatergasse 2; 8pm), chamber music concerts in Schloss Mirabell’s sublime baroque Marble Hall, and the Mozart-focused Mozarteum OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP ( 889 40; www.mozarteum.at; Schwarzstrasse 26-28). Marionettes bring The Sound of Music and Mozart’s operas magically to life at Salzburger Marionettentheater OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP ( 87 24 06; www.marionetten.at; Schwarzstrasse 24; May-Sep, Christmas, Easter; ).

Austria’s most renowned classical music festival, the Salzburg Festival (www.salzburgerfestspiele.at) attracts international stars from late July to late August. Book on its website, or ask the ticket office ( 80 45-500; info@salzburgfestival.at; Herbert-von-Karajan-Platz 11; 9.30am-1pm & 2-5pm Mon-Sat) about cancellations during the festival.

Sports & Activities

The tourist office has iGuide audiovisual city tours (€9), which take in big-hitters like the Residenz, Mirabellgarten and Mozartplatz, for those who want to go it alone.

FRÄULEIN MARIA’S BICYCLE TOURS BIKE TOUR

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(www.mariasbicycletours.com; Mirabellplatz 4; adult/child €26/18; 9.30am May-Sep, plus 4.30pm Jun-Aug) Belt out The Sound of Music faves as you pedal on one of these 3½-hour bike tours of the film locations. No booking is required; just turn up at the Mirabellplatz meeting point.

SEGWAY TOURS TOUR

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(www.segway-salzburg.at; Wolf-Dietrich-Strasse 3; city/Sound of Music tour €33/65; tours 9am, noon, 3pm & 5pm Mar-Oct) These guided Segway tours take in the big sights by zippy battery-powered scooter.

SALZBURG SIGHTSEEING TOURS BUS TOUR

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( 88 16 16; www.salzburg-sightseeingtours.at; Mirabellplatz 2; office 8am-6pm) Sells a 24-hour ticket for a multilingual hop-on, hop-off bus tour of the city and The Sound of Music locations.

SALZBURG SCHIFFSFAHRT BOAT TOUR

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(www.salzburghighlights.at; Makartsteg; adult/child €15/7; Apr-Oct) Hour-long cruises depart from Makartsteg bridge, with some chugging on to Schloss Hellbrunn (the ticket price does not cover entry to the palace).

Sleeping

Ask for the tourist office’s hotel brochure, which gives prices for hotels, pensions, hostels and camping grounds. Beds are like gold dust during the Salzburg Festival from mid-July to August.

YOHO SALZBURG HOSTEL €

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( 879 649; www.yoho.at; Paracelsusstrasse 9; dm €15-23, d €45-75; ) Comfy bunks, free wi-fi, plenty of cheap beer – what more could a backpacker ask for? Except, perhaps, a merry sing-along with The Sound of Music screened daily (yes, every day). The friendly crew can arrange tours, adventure sports and bike hire.

ARTE VIDA GUESTHOUSE €€

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( 87 31 85; www.artevida.at; Dreifaltigkeitsgasse 9; s €55-140, d €80-152; ) Arte Vida has the boho-chic feel of a Marrakesh riad (traditional house), with its lantern-lit salon, communal kitchen and individually designed rooms done out in rich colours and fabrics. Reinhold arranges yoga sessions in the quiet garden, and outdoor activities.

HOTEL AM DOM BOUTIQUE HOTEL €€

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( 84 27 65; www.hotelamdom.at; Goldgasse 17; s €90-160, d €130-280; ) Antique meets boutique at this Altstadt hotel, where the original vaults and beams of the 800-year-old building contrast with razor-sharp design features. Artworks inspired by the Salzburg Festival grace the strikingly lit rooms.

HOTEL & VILLA AUERSPERG BOUTIQUE HOTEL €€

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( 88 94 40; www.auersperg.at; Auerspergstrasse 61; s €129-155, d €165-205, ste €235-310; ) S This charismatic villa-hotel hybrid fuses late-19th-century flair with contemporary design. Relax by the lily pond in the garden or in the rooftop wellness area with mountain views. Free bike hire is a bonus.

Krems an der Donau

Explore

Krems, as its known to its friends, is the prettiest of the larger towns on the Danube and marks the beginning of the Wachau. Enjoyable eating and drinking, an atmospheric historical centre, rivers of top-quality wine from local vineyards and a couple of unexpected museums attract the summer tourist crowds, but the rest of the year things can be pretty quiet. Aimless wandering is the best plan of attack, dipping into churches and museums, strolling the banks of the Danube and sampling the local tipples as you go.

Krems has three parts: Krems to the east, the small settlement of Stein (formerly a separate town) to the west, and the connecting suburb of Und. Hence the local witticism: Krems und Stein sind drei Städte (Krems and Stein are three towns). A day is ample time to explore the trio.

The Best…

» Sight Kunsthalle

» Place to Eat Jell

» Place to Drink Stadtcafe Ulrich (Click here)

Top Tip

A walk through the cobblestone streets of Krems and Stein, especially after dark, is a real highlight. The tourist office hands out a useful walk-by-numbers guide to the town.

Getting There & Away

Boat DDSG Blue Danube ( 58 880; www.ddsg-blue-danube.at; Handelskai 265) runs a Sunday service between Vienna and Dürnstein. Boats leave from near the DDSG office at Quay 5 (Handelskai 265) alongside the Wien/Reichsbrücke at 8.30am, stopping at Krems at 2pm and returning from Krems at 5pm (arriving back in Vienna at 9pm). The return fare is €32. The river station in Krems is just off Donaustrasse, 1.5km west of the train station.

Car From Vienna take the A22 north towards Stockerau, then the S5 west to Krems. The 76km journey takes around an hour.

Train & Bus Hourly direct trains connect Krems with Vienna’s Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof (€15.20, one hour).

Need to Know

» Area Code 02732

» Location 60km northwest of Vienna

» Tourist Office Krems Tourismus ( 82 676; www.krems.info; Utzstrasse 1; 9am-6pm Mon-Fri)

Sights

KUNSTHALLE GALLERY

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(www.kunsthalle.at; Franz-Zeller-Platz 3; admission €10; 10am-6pm) The flagship of Krems’ Kunstmeile (www.kunstmeile-krems.at), an eclectic collection of galleries and museums, the Kunsthalle has a program of small but excellent changing exhibitions which can home in on anything from mid-19th-century landscapes to today’s concept art. Guided tours run on Sunday at 2pm.

KARIKATURMUSEUM MUSEUM

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(www.karikaturmuseum.at; Steiner Landstrasse 3a; admission €10; 10am-6pm) Austria’s only caricature museum occupies a suitably tongue-in-cheek chunk of purpose-built architecture opposite the Kunsthalle. Changing exhibitions and a large permanent collection of caricatures of prominent Austrian and international figures make for a fun diversion.

MUSEUM KREMS MUSEUM

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(www.museumkrems.at; Körnermarkt 14; adult/child €5/3; 11am-6pm Wed-Sun Apr & May, daily Jun-Oct) Housed in a former Dominican monastery, the town’s museum has collections of religious and modern art (including works by Kremser Schmidt, who painted the frescoes in Pfarrkirche St Veit), as well as winemaking artefacts and a section on the famous Krems mustard.

PFARRKIRCHE ST VEIT CHURCH

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(Pfarrplatz 5; dawn-dusk) Known as the ‘Cathedral of the Wachau’, the large baroque parish church boasts colourful frescoes by Martin Johann Schmidt, an 18th-century local artist who was also known as Kremser Schmidt and occupied a house from 1756 near the Linzer Tor in Stein.

WEINGUT DER STADT KREMS WINE TASTING

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(www.weingutstadtkrems.at; Stadtgraben 11; 9am-noon & 1-5pm Mon-Fri, 9am-noon Sat) A city-owned vineyard yielding 200,000 bottles per year (90% is Grüner Veltliner and Riesling), some of which you can sample and buy.

Eating & Drinking

GASTHAUS ZUM ELEFANTEN AUSTRIAN €

(www.zum-elefanten.at; Schürerplatz 10; mains €9.50-16.50; lunch & dinner Mon-Sat) Bag a seat indoors or out on the pretty baroque square to enjoy a reassuringly brief menu of local treats with an upmarket kink. The crayfish in spicy apricot sauce and gourmet Elefanten-Burger (contains no pachyderm we were assured) are best helped along with a shot of the homemade schnapps.

JELL AUSTRIAN €€

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(www.amon-jell.at; Hoher Markt 8-9; mains €12-22; lunch & dinner Tue-Fri, lunch Sat & Sun) Occupying a gorgeous stone house, Jell is hard to beat for a rustic atmosphere and fine wine from its own vineyard. Whether you go for the braised veal with potato mash flavoured with pumpkin-seed oil or the smoked salmon gnocchi with crayfish-and-lime sauce, be sure to leave some room for the delightfully fluffy Marillenknödel (apricot-filled dumplings).

MÖRWALD KLOSTER UND AUSTRIAN €€€

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( 70 493; www.moerwald.at; Undstrasse 6; mains €35-39, 5-course menu €75, 3-course lunch €29; lunch & dinner Tue-Sat) Mörwald is one of a crop of gourmet restaurants run by kitchen kaiser Toni Mörwald outside Vienna. It offers exquisite delights ranging from roast pigeon breast to beef, poultry and fish dishes with French angles. A lovely yard and an impressive wine selection round off one of Wachau’s best restaurants.

STADTCAFE ULRICH CAFE

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(www.stadtcafe-ulrich.at; Südtirolerplatz 7; 7am-11pm Mon-Thu, to midnight Sat, 9am-11pm Sun) Krems’ busiest cafe is this elegantly high-ceilinged Viennese job next to the Steinertor, good for your first and last cuppa of the day, and everything in between as well.

Melk & Around

Explore

With its sparklingly majestic abbey-fortress, Melk is a highlight of any visit to the Danube Valley. Separated from the river by a stretch of woodland, this pretty town makes for an easy and rewarding day trip from the capital. Combine a visit with nearby Schloss Schallaburg and you have yourself a day packed with architectural bliss.

Melk is one of the most popular destinations in Austria so you certainly won’t be alone on its cobbled streets. It’s also one of the few places in the Wachau that has a pulse in winter, making it a year-round excursion option.

The Best…

» Sight Stift Melk

» Place to Eat Zur Post (Click here)

Top Tip

Before or after your tour of Stift Melk, don’t forget to visit the Nordbastei guarding the entrance to the complex, always home to a fascinating and often quirky exhibition.

Getting There & Away

Boat An interesting way to tackle Melk as a day trip is to use a combination of train and Danube cruise ship. From mid-April to late October DDSG Blue Danube and Austrian Railways offer a combined train/boat/train ticket for one-way connections to Krems and Melk and the boat trip between the two. Purchase tickets (adult/child €57/16) at any train station or DDSG Blue Danube booking office. Boats leave from the canal by Pionierstrasse, 400m north of the abbey.

Car The A1 motorway runs all the way from Vienna west to Melk. The 87km journey takes around 90 minutes.

Train Hourly trains link Vienna’s Westbahnhof with Melk (€15.90, one hour 20 minutes).

Need to Know

» Area code 02752

» Location 77km west of Vienna

» Tourist Office ( 51160; www.nieder­oesterreich.at/melk; Babenbergerstrasse 1; 9.30am-6pm Mon-Sat, to 4pm Sun Apr-Oct, 9am-5pm Mon-Thu, to 2.30pm Fri Nov-Mar)

Sights

STIFT MELK ABBEY

(Benedictine Abbey of Melk; 5550; www.stiftmelk.at; Abt Berthold Dietmayr Strasse 1; adult/child €9.50/5, with guided tour €11.50/7; 9am-5.30pm May-Sep, tours at 11am & 2pm only Oct-Apr) The Danube Valley’s most popular sight was once the residence of the Babenberg family. Benedictine monks transformed Melk’s top piece of real estate into a monastery in 1089, but the building you see today is mostly the result of a rebuild commissioned by Abbot Berthold Dietmayr and executed in ostentatious baroque style by Jakob Prandtauer.

It’s said nine million bricks were used in the reconstruction work, and the Stift has almost 500 rooms. Most of these are taken up by Melk’s top school, monks’ quarters and offices, leaving visitors to marvel at the Marble Hall with its 3D ceiling frescoes, the ornately decorated library and the church boasting Lower Austria’s most over-the-top interior. Guided tours take around an hour; count on around two hours without a guide.

SCHLOSS SCHALLABURG PALACE

( 02754-6317; www.schallaburg.at; Schallaburg 1; adult/child €10/3.50, combined ticket with Stift Melk €17.50; 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 9am-6pm Sat Apr-early Nov) This Renaissance palace set in lovely gardens is famous not only for its stunning architecture but also for the innovative exhibitions it houses. Architecturally, it boasts some 400 terracotta sculptures, completed between 1572 and 1573, the largest of which support the upper-storey arches of the palace. Every year the building hosts a prestigious exhibition based on a chosen cultural theme; shows in recent years have focused on the Beatles, Venice and Byzantium. Combined tickets with Stift Melk cost €15. To reach Schallaburg, take the shuttle bus (€4), which leaves Melk train station at 10.40am, 1.15pm and 4.45pm.

Eating

ZUM FÜRSTEN INTERNATIONAL €

( 523 43; Rathausplatz 3; mains €3.70-9.60; 10.30am-11pm) Right at the foot of the Stift, relax after a tour on faux-velvet 1970s seating at this popular cafe serving pastas, strudel, chilli con carne and other inter­national staples.

ZUR POST AUSTRIAN €€

( 523 45; Linzer Strasse 1; mains €7.20-20.50; lunch & dinner Mon-Sat ; ) A traditional, understated restaurant in the hotel of the same name on Melk’s main drag. Waldviertel carp, Wiener Schnitzel, Danube catfish and organic lamb populate the menu, which also features several vegetarian options.

Znojmo

Explore

Known as Znaim to the Austrians, picturesque Znojmo (pronounced znoy -moh) perches (very) high above the Dyje River on the border between southern Moravia in the Czech Republic and Austria. Quiet even at the height of summer, the old centre makes for an easygoing day trip from Vienna, and if you’ve never been on the ‘wrong’ side of the former Iron Curtain, this is a gentle introduction to post-communist Europe.

Znojmo’s stellar sight is the Romanesque Rotunda of Our Lady & St Catherine, one of the oldest surviving churches in the country. Outside of town the main draw in these parts is the Podyjí National Park (Nationalpark Thayatal on the Austrian side), which straddles the border and offers some vista-rich day hiking.

The Best…

» Sight Rotunda of Our Lady & St Catherine

» Place to Eat Na Věčnosti

» View Dyje Gorge

Top Tip

Some 76km of well-marked hiking trails start from the Church of St Nicholas – the tourist office sells very detailed maps of the Podyjí National Park through which they pass.

Getting There & Away

Car Take the A22 north out of Vienna towards Prague, change to the B303 and (in the Czech Republic) follow the 38. The journey should take no more than 90 minutes.

Train At least six direct trains daily link Znojmo with Wien-Hauptbahnhof (return EURegio ticket €18, 1¾ hours).

Need to Know

» Area Code +420 515

» Location 74km north of Vienna, in the Czech Republic

» Tourist Office ( 216 111; www.znojmocity.cz; Obroková 1/12; 8am-6pm Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm Sat, 10am-5pm Sun May, Jun, Sep & Oct, slightly longer hrs Jul & Aug)

Sights

ROTUNDA OF OUR LADY & ST CATHERINE CHURCH

(Rotunda Panny Marie a sv Kateřiny; 515 222 311; www.znojmuz.cz; Castle grounds 90Kč; 9.15am-5pm Tue-Sun May-Sep, Sat & Sun only Apr) In the grounds of Znojmo castle, the town’s top sight is this 11th-century church, one of the Czech Republic’s oldest Romanesque structures containing a beautiful series of 12th-century frescoes. These depict biblical scenes, figures from Czech legends and, most significantly, 19 rulers from the Přemyslid dynasty, all astonishingly well preserved after nine centuries. Due to the sensitive nature of the frescoes, visitors are limited to groups of 10 or fewer, and are allowed in for 15 minutes at a time once per hour.

ZNOJMO UNDERGROUND UNDERGROUND

(Znojemské podzemí; 515 221 342; Slepičí trh 2; ticket 95Kč; 9am-6pm Jul-Aug, to 4pm May, Jun & Sep, 10am-4pm Mon-Sat Apr, 10am-4pm Sat Oct) One of Znojmo’s most popular attractions is this tour through the labyrinthine 14th- century tunnels and cellars below the old town. Dress warmly and expect lots of animated trolls and animatronic skeletons.

Eating

NA VĚČNOSTI VEGETARIAN €

( 776 856 650; www.navecnosti.cz; Velká Miku­lášská 11; mains 60-130Kč, lunch 69Kč; 10.30am-1am Mon-Thu, to 2am Fri & Sat, 11am-1am Sun; ) Take a break from central Europe’s meat-heavy diet at this hip, atmospheric vege­tarian restaurant-pub buried deep in the old town. Fried cheese is a major player on the menu alongside Slovak halušky (small dumplings in cheese sauce), curries (nothing hot), pastas and a nod to the local vintners in the form of tofu in wine sauce.

U ZLATÉ KONVE CZECH €

(Nám TGM 9; mains 50-130Kč; 10am-10pm) Take curvaceous vaulting leaps over diners as they recline on Chesterfield-style sofas with views of Znojmo’s main square. The menu of sirloin in cream sauce, Moravian cabbage soup, apple strudel and pork in mushroom sauce is pure Czech comfort food.

Bratislava (Slovakia)

Explore

Just over an hour from Vienna by train, Slovakia’s diminutive capital is a quietly energetic city, laced with Slavic spice but still bearing the intriguing hallmarks of 40 years of communism. Its low-rise historical centre is small, easy to explore on foot and crammed with restored historical buildings, churches and museums. Throw in a bunch of friendly locals and some delicious Carpathian food and you have yourself one fascinating cross-border excursion.

The Best…

» Sight Municipal Museum

» Place to Eat Modrá Hviezda (Click here)

» Place to Drink Bratislavský Meštiansky Pivovar (Click here)

Getting There & Away

Boat Daily LOD (www.lod.sk; single/return €23/38) hydrofoils link Vienna with Bratislava. Boats leave from quay 6 at Reichsbrücke.

Bus Slovak Lines (www.slovaklines.sk) run hourly buses (return €14.30, 1½ hours) between Südtirolerplatz and Bratislava’s main bus station.

Car Head east on the A4 from Vienna until the Fischamend junction, where you continue on Bundesbahn 9, which crosses the border just south of Bratislava.

Train From the Hauptbahnhof, hourly trains (return EURegio ticket €15, one hour) travel to both Bratislava’s main train station (Hlavná Stanica) and Petržalka station, 3km south of the old town. From the latter, take bus 80 (€0.90) across the Danube into the centre.

Need to Know

» Area Code +421 2

» Location 55km east of Vienna

» Tourist Office ( 161 86; www.visitbratislava.eu; Klobučnícka 2; 9am-7pm Apr-Oct, to 6pm Nov-Mar)

Sights

MUNICIPAL MUSEUM MUSEUM

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( 5910 0812; www.muzeum.bratislava.sk; Hlavné nám; adult/child €6/3; 10am-5pm Tue-Fri, 11am-6pm Sat & Sun) Occupying a group of buildings in the heart of the city centre, including the 14th-century town hall and the 18th-century rococo Apponyi Palace, this excellent museum deals with myriad local themes including Carpathian viticulture, traditional industries, Bratislava’s numerous rulers, Hungarian coronations and the city’s status as Slovak capital. The magnificent town hall interiors have been crisply renovated and a climb to the top of the tower provides views of the (closed) castle.

MUZEUM DOPRAVY MUSEUM

(Transport Museum; 5244 4163; www.muzeumdopravy.com; ul Šancová 1/A; admission €3.30; 10am-5pm Tue-Sun) Velorex, Tatra, Jawa, ES-KA, Böhmerland, Praga, Škoda…if these names mean anything to you, then visit Bratislava’s outstanding, nostalgia-inducing transport museum, Slovak museum of the year 2010. As well as parades of polished classics and veterans, there’s also a mock-up of a communist-era driving school, a couple of lumbering steam trains and tons of railway hardware, some of it in service until just a few years ago.

ST MARTIN’S CATHEDRAL CHURCH

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(Dóm sv Martina; cnr Kapitulská & Staromestská; 9-11.30am & 1-4pm Mon-Sat, 1.30-4pm Sun) A relatively modest interior belies the glorious occasions witnessed by St Martin’s Cathedral: 11 Austro-Hungarian monarchs (10 kings and one queen, Maria Theresia) were crowned in this 14th-century church.

BLUE CHURCH CHURCH

(Kostol Svätej Alžbety; Bezručova 2) The 1911 Church of St Elizabeth, known as the Blue Church, is a bouncy-castle-like Secessionist confection by Ödön Lechner, decorated with mosaics and cool shades of azure and ultramarine. Opposite the church, the school by the same architect is almost as impressive.

The Blue Church is located around 500m east of the old town – any street heading west off ul štúrova will get you close.

Eating & Drinking

MODRÁ HVIEZDA SLOVAK €

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(www.modrahviezda.sk; ul Beblavého 14; mains €8-20; 11am-11pm; ) Claiming to have been filling bellies for 250 years, the ‘Blue Star’ serves upmarket Slovak fare such as venison steak, roast rabbit and venison pâté with cranberries and gingerbread. The folksy dining room or rock-cut cellar space are the perfect backdrops for a few after-dinner shots of slivovitz accompanied by some fast-tempo Carpathian violin music.

BRATISLAVSKÝ MEŠTIANSKY PIVOVAR SLOVAK €

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( 0944512265; www.mestianskypivovar.sk; Dre­vená 8; mains €5.50-19; 11am-midnight Mon-Thu & Sat, to 1am Fri, to 11pm Sun) The local meat-dumpling-beer combination is best executed by this large, modern microbrewery serving Bratislava’s freshest suds and monster platters of Slovak fare.

SLOVAK PUB SLOVAK

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(Obchodná 62; mains €3-10; 10am-midnight Mon-Thu, 10am-2am Fri & Sat, noon-midnight Sun; ) With 600 seats and a warren of differently styled rooms and halls, this slightly touristy pub is the biggest in the Slovak capital, but also one of the best. The menu features almost every national dish going and some of what goes into the pot hails from the owner’s organic farm.